Syllabus

Instructor Information:        
Professor:Dr. David E. Alexander
Office Location:LBH
Office Phone:359-4305 

Email:dalexander@huntington.edu

Office Hours:Generally, MWF 4-5pm and TR 3:30-5pm; otherwise email for specific day and time.  

Course Description:             
All thinkers think.  That statement is a tautology.  All thinkers think well.  That statement is not.  My primary goal as a professor is to enable my students to think well.  This Introduction to Logic course is designed to do just that.  In addition to providing students with the standard tools of logic, this course will also teach students how to provide arguments for some of their own beliefs, and teach them how to discern and assess the beliefs of others.  Students should thereby see the applicability of this course to other courses and indeed all aspects of their life.  
       
Course Objectives:
  1.  To enable students to translate various types of statements into symbolic form;  
  2.  To enable students to assess arguments for validity and invalidity;
  3.  To enable students to develop arguments of their own;
  4.  To enable students to evaluate famous and infamous arguments;
  5.  To enable students (in part of course) to flourish as rational animals;
  6.  To enable students to detect informal fallacies (if time permits)

Textbook Required:
Hurley, Patrick. A Concise Introduction to Logic, 9thedition (Wadsworth, 2006)

Requirements:           


Each
Homework and participation 

100
Writing Assignments

100
Pop Quizzes
Exam 1

TBD
100
Exam 2
Exam 3

100
100




Grading Scale.  A (94%-100%); A- (90%-93%); B+ (88%-89%); B (84%-87%); C+ (78%-79%); C (74% to 77%); C- (70%-73%); D+ (68%-69%); D (60-67%); F (59% or below).

Attendance: From the instructor's point of view, your first and primary responsibility is academic. Accordingly, I expect you to manage your time with this in mind.  You are expected to be in class, to have studiedthe assignment, and to have your work ready.  Research and my experience strongly suggest that your understanding of the material will be hindered by your absence and will be increased by your presence in class.  Your reading and homework assignments are on the course schedule below.  2 percentage points will be deducted from your final grade for each absence beginning with the fourth.  Please come to class on time.  3 tardies = 1 absence. Students missing one-quarter of the course will automatically fail.  

Homework:  Come to class with the assignment completely done.  I will give a check for completed assignments, a minus for incomplete assignments, and a death stare for missing assignments

Writing Assignments:  These should be viewed by the student as simple ways of putting what we have learned into practice.  There is a total of four writing assignments.  

For the first, students will provide reasons for some social, economic, or political belief of theirs.  

For the second, students will find a short editorial that expresses disagreement with the belief defended in the first writing assignments and attempt to present the reasons of the author using the tools of logic acquired at this point in the semester.  

For the third, students will respond in detail to the author considered in the second writing assignment.  The student will use tools of logic acquired at this point in the semester.  

For the fourth, students will rewrite the third using the tools of logic acquired at this point in the semester.  

Each writing assignment is worth 25 points.  

Course Blog:Throughout the semester, I will (probably infrequently) post course materials and philosophical reflections on logic on our class blog. Extra credit can be earned by interacting with some of the posts. I will let you know what to do when the time comes. 

Recommended Resources: 
Me, other students, and lots of practice.

Course Schedule:  This course syllabus is subject to revision as needed 

Study Sections:Have the relevant sections read by the day in bold

Homework Assignment: Have the questions done by the day in bold.  Of course, you are free to complete the assignment earlier.  The chapter, section, and homework section are given (e.g. 3.4.II) followed by the questions you must do. 

Week
Course Topic
Sections Read by:
Homework Assignment Done by:
1
Course Introduction



Basic Concepts
W:1.1 & 1.2
Fri: 1.1.I: 2,18; 1.1.IV: All; 1.2.I: 2,9,11,24


Basic Concepts
F: 1.3 & 1.4 
Wed of Wk 2: 1.3.I: 2-3, 26 
1.4.I: 2-3; 1.4.II: 3,6

Fri: First Writing Assignment Due

2
Basic Concepts
W: 1.5
Fri: 1.5.I: 2,8,9; 1.5.II: 2,5,9


Categorical Propositions

F: 4.1 
Mon of Wk 3: 4.1: 2,3,5,6,8





3







Categorical Propositions







M: 4.2




F: 4.3 
Wed: 4.2.I: 2,3,5,6,8
4.2.II: 2,3
4.2.III: 2,3
4.2.IV: 2,3

Mon of Wk 4: 4.3.I: 2,3,6,8
4.3.II: 2,3,5,6,8,14
4.3.III: 2,3,5,6,8,14



4.3.I: 2,3,6,8
4.3.II: 2,3,5,6,8,14
4.3.III: 2,3,5,6,8,14

4
Categorical Propositions
M: 4.4 
Wed: 4.4.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12
4.4.II:1b,1d,2b,3b
4.4.III: 2,3,8,9



F: 4.7
Mon of Wk 5: 4.7.I:2,3,5,6,8,11,12,14,17,20,21,24,26,27,32,39,44
4.7.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9




5
TEST ON WED 



Mon: go over homework; review for exam

Wed: EXAM


Propositional Logic
F: 6.1
Mon of Wk 6: 6.1.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15
6.1.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9

6
Propositional Logic
M: 6.2






W: 6.3
Wed: 6.2.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
6.2.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9
6.2.III: 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12
6.2.IV: 2,3,5,6,8
Wed: Second Writing Assignment Due

Fri: 6.3.I: 2,3,5,6,14,15
6.3.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9
6.3.III: 2,3



F: 6.4 & 6.5
Mon of Wk 7: 6.4.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
6.4.II: 2,3,6,12,15,17,20
6.5.I: 2,3,5,9,14,15
6.5.II: 2,3,5,9

7
Propositional Logic
M: 6.6
Wed: 6.6.I: 2,3,5,6,11,15,17,18
6.6.II: 2,3,5,6,8,12,15
6.6.III: 2,3

Fri: catching up day




8
Natural Deduction
W: 7.1
Fri: 7.1.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.1.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12
7.1.III: 2,3,5,6,12,14,15,18
7.1.IV: 2,5

9
Natural Deduction
M: 7.2 
Wed: 7.2.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.2.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.2.III: 2,3,5,6,11,12,15,20,21
7.2.IV: 2,3



F: 7.3 
Mon of Wk 10: 7.3.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.3.II: 2,3,5,6,14
7.3.III: 2,3,5,6,8,9,14,17,18,23,26,27
7.3.IV: 2,3

10








11




12
Natural Deduction








Natural Deduction




TEST ON MON

Predicate Logic
M: 7.4




F: 7.5



M: 7.6

W: 7.7




W: 8.1


Wed: 7.4.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.4.II: 2,3,5,6,8,9
7.4.III: 2,3,5,6,11,12,20,23,42,44
7.4.IV: 2,3

Mon of Wk 11: 7.5.I: 2,3,5,6,9.18
Fri: Third Writing Assignment Due

Wed: 7.6.I: 2,3,5,17; 7.6.II: 2

Fri: 7.7.I: 2,9


Mon: EXAM

Fri: 8.1.I: 2,3,5,6,8,9,18,24,27,56,57
13
Predicate Logic



Predicate Logic

Predicate Logic


M: 8.2



W: 8.3

F: 8.4
Mon (these are due on the same day as the reading assignment): 8.2.I: 2,3,6,14

Fri: 8.3.I: 2,3,5,11; 8.3.II: 2,5

Mon of Wk 14: 8.4.I: 2,3,5,18; 8.4.II: 2,6
14

15

Predicate Logic

Predicate Logic
M: 8.5

M: 8.6







Mon of Wk 15: 8.5.I: 2,3,5,6

Wed: 8.6.I: 2,3,5,6,; 8.6.II: 2,3,5,6; 8.6.III: 2,3,12

Fri: Catching up and review

Fri: Fourth Writing Assignment Due







The final will be given at the date set by the provost’s office

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